. A Third Wo followerh, exprefled in this Verſe, becauſe they Corrupted their Proſelytes, bath as ro Doctrine and Manners, ſo as they were twice more the Children of che Devi), and in danger of Hell than before. A Proſelyte was one, who coming from ſome Pagan Nation relinquiſhed 7s, and worſhipped One True, and Living God. Of theſe Writers tell us there were two forts: One that only profeiſed ro Belicuve and Worſhip One God, tho' he did not embrace the Fewiſh Religion, ſuch a one they ſuffered ro live amonzſt them, and called him A Proſelyte of -the Gate. Others embraced the Fewiſh Religion, and were admitred into their Church, by Circumciſion, and Baptiſin, and Sacrifice, ( as rheir Writers tell us) cheſe they called Proſelytes of Righteouſneſs. Our Srviour ſaich the Scribes, and Phariſees, Compaſſed Sea and Land ; thar is, would take any Pains (ir is a Proyerbial Expretfion ) to make one a Proſelyte ; nor was this blame-worthy in them, bur thar which followeth , | That they made him twice mare the Child of Hell than before :] Corrupring chem with cheir falſe Doftrine , and ſetting them Examples of an ill Life. Their Buſineſs was not to turn them from Sin unto God, bur meerly to
' convert thei to an Opinion ; if they had once got them 1nro their Church, ſo as they could make their Markers of them, never rezarding their S2uls more, nor to preſs upon them rhe Re- fxrmation of their Lives, that they might be ſaved. Thus Prieſts and Jeſuits at this day go ro China, Fapan, to Profelyre Men to the Rom.m Fiith ; and uſe all imaginable Arts to ſeduce Perſons rn and bred under the Profeſſion of the Proteſtant Religion, in Proteſt..nt Countries, and boaſt much of their Converrs ; bur he who looks upon the Scriptures, and confidereth the Lives of the moſt of their Converts, will eafily ſee they are but rwice more the Children of Hell, being Licenſed, by their Indulgences, Par- dmms, Abſolutions, nay by their very Caſuiſts, to live moſt prodigious Impious Lives; to ſay nothing of their Damnable Errors 1n Mat- rers of Faith,
16 Wo unto you, * ye blind guides, which ſay,
_ **5* * Whoſoever ſhall ſwear by the temple, it is no- * Chap. s. thing; but whoſoever {hall ſwear by the gold of
the temple, he is a debtor. |
17 You fools, and blind : for whether 1s greater, the gold, or the temple that ſanCtifieth the gold? _
18 And whoſoever ſhall ſwear by rhe altar, it 1s nothing; but whoſoever {wweareth by the gitt that is upon it, he is || guilty.
19 Ye fools, and blind : for whether is greater, the gift, or * the altar that ſanctifeth the gitt ?
20 Whoſo therefore ſhall ſwear by the altar, iwcareth by ir, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoſo {hall ſwear by the temple, ſwear- eth by ir, and by * him thar dwelleth therein.
22 And he that ſhall ſwear by heaven, ſweareth . by the * throne of God, and by him that fitreth 44 thereon.
Our Saviour here ſheweth the falſe DoErine, which the Pha- riſces tor their own Gain taught the People concerning Oaths. God had commanded thar rhey ſhould fear and ſerve the Lofd their God, and ſwear by his Name, Deur. 6. 13. and 10. 20. He that
ſwexreth by any Perſon, or Thing, doth ewo Things: He artri- burerth co the Thing, or Perſon by which he Sweareth, a Know- ledge of che Heart, and the ſecret Intention. 2. He callerh upon the Perſon or Thing, by which he Sweareth, to be his Fudge; or to take a Revenge upIn him, 1n caſe he doth not believe in his Heart what he afftirmeth, or denieth witch his Words, to be true or ralſe; otherwiſe an Oath 15 no Security at all. From whence appearecth , That it 15 unreaſonable tor any to Swear by any orher than God, who alone can have a Knowledge of the Truth, and Sinceriry of the Heartz and thar he, who Sweareth by any Creature, commitreth 1do/atry in his Heart, and in his Hearr doth indeed Bla{phem?, paying a Divine Homage to a Creature ; and attributing to che Creature, what only agrceth to the Creator. The Phariſees, as it ſeemerth, had caughe rhe People, that ir was lawful to Swear by che Creature; bur all Oat?s by Creatures did nor bind to the Performance of the thing promiſed by fuch Oaths: It a Man ſwear by the Temple, or by the Altar, It was nothing ;” no Man was bound by ſuch Oaths, to pertorm the thing, for which ſuch Oaths was given as a Security. Bur it any Man ſwear by the Gold of the Temple, or by a Gift which he brought to the Altar, theſe Oaths did bind him. By the Gold of the Temple, 1s not to be underſtood the Golden Veſſels uſed in rhe Temple; nor the Golden Plates, with which the ſeveral parts of rhe Temple thined ; bur the Gold which was brought as an Ofcring into the Temple , and pur into the Treaſury chere, of witch, and of the Gifrs, the Priefts and Officers abour the Temple had a conſiderable ſhare, which made them equalize an Oarh by theſe, ro an Oarh made by the Name of God ir ſelf. Our Saviour tcre ſheweth che unreaſonable Folly of the Tradition, and calleth
| koneth up. Faith, by which ſome underſtand Faith in Go,
THE I.
the Gold, muſt ir ſelf be more eſpecially Holy, thar is, ſeparate & an Holy Uſe, The Temple was Holy , ſo was the Altar betore the Gold was brought into 1t; but the Gold was not Holy, till ir v5 brought into the Holy Place, and there offered. >; "py He lets them know, that Oaths by the Creatures once made dig oblige, as much as if they had been made by God himſeif The were indecd finfully made, for Men ought nor to have fires by Creatures; bur being made, thoſe who made them were het ro perform them , 1f the Matter of them were nor ſinful, t- he that ſwears by the Altar, ſwears by it, and all the "ons thereon : And he who ſwears by the Temple, ſwears by ir gi. him that dwelleth therein : And he who ſivears by Hearn ſwear by the Throne of God, and him that ſitteth thereon.” For none _ ſware by Inanimate Things, could poſſibly. be imagined to cj theſe Things which he knew had no Lite, no Senſe, ng Know: ledge, ro be a Witneſs to the Truth of his Heart, as to whar þ. believed, or what he intended. So as though he that Gyearet) by the Creature, be a Profane Swearer, yet he is Bound by his 0,14; he indeed ſwearing by the God of thoſe Creatures : He hath reator, ro repent of the profane and unlawful Firm of his Oath ; hu i; the Matter be, what he may without Sin perform, he is bound !,, his Oath to the Performance of it. +
23 Wo unto you Scribes and Phariſces , Hyg. crites; for ye pay tythe of mint, and anije, «c. .